Eden Prairie man charged with killing 6-month-old son

An Eden Prairie man was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder in the death of his 6-month-old son, who was found in a laundry tub filled with water.

Randel Eudean Richardson, 36, told authorities "I did this on purpose" when they responded to a 911 call from his home on Sunday and found 6-month-old Rowan Richardson not breathing, according to the criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County District Court.

Rescue workers administered CPR on the infant and water and blood came out of his mouth as they gave him back blows. The baby was later taken to Hennepin County Medical Center and pronounced dead, the complaint said.

After telling authorities he was responsible, Richardson was arrested. He then told police he had been home alone with Rowan while his wife was out shopping.

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After speaking with his wife on the phone, he put cold water in one side of a laundry tub and put his son under water while he struggled, according to the complaint. He then left him in the tub and went upstairs and waited until his wife returned home.

His wife called 911 when she returned home and found her son.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner has said Rowan's cause of death remains under investigation.

The Star Tribune has reported based on an interview with Richardson's mother-in-law that he suffered mental health problems.